Rail freight metrics
Looking at short line and regional movements as an indirect barometer of what's happening in aluminum rail movements.
Contributor: Greg Wittbecker
Greg Wittbecker
Read more from Greg Wittbecker 
FERC rejects MISO proposals for breaking interconnection backlog
We are no closer to breaking the bottleneck of stranded generation seeking connection to the grid.
The courts pause Trump tariffs…. more uncertainty
Has Section 232 survived the latest legal challenge?
West Coast port congestion
West Coast congestion returns as tariff chaos fuels container surge.
EGA makes its move on U.S. primary aluminum supply gap
EGA has a sterling reputation for execution of big capital projects in smelting and refining, and it's early in the game, but the political winds seem to argue for energy provider Public Service Company of Oklahoma to cut a deal
Teamsters gain foothold at Real Alloys
Real Alloy’s Morgantown plant voted to join Teamsters Local 89. Time will tell whether this will prove unsettling to this operation, given the Teamster's history with the company.
Billet Market Starts to Move Higher
The billet market has been quiet in 2025 so far, but extruders exposed to the spot market are now facing some challenges.
Recycled metal exports bans - An idea that masks the problem
Domestic increases in mill capacity and a struggling recycling rate, amid China's relaxed UBC scrap import policy, fail to make the case for banning US exports.
Container bookings and prices surge
Average bookings for the seven days ended on May 14th skyrocketed, which could cause bottlenecks, as containers getting stripped and shipped from the Los Angeles/Long Beach ports
The downside of the US-China tariff rollback: Container lines’ price hikes
The container lines operating in this shipping lane were quick to respond to the expected surge in freight demand.